"The Autobots are living proof that humanity's fear of
the 'computer-turned-monster' is not necessarily the inevitable end
of electronic evolution. They are 'user-friendly' machines
whose 'humming' hearts are as warm as any being who has fought to keep
the dream of freedom alive. The Autobots seek to stop the cancerous growth of Decepticon
tyranny. They are galactic good guys of sorts, determined to save the
people of Earth, themselves, and the universe from Decepticon domination."
- G1 Series Bible

Contents

History

On ancient Cybertron, the consumer goods robots rose up against the Quintessons in a rebellion that ultimately forced the aliens off the planet. Rebel leader A3 survived this clash, but he and the rest of his race -— now dubbed "Autobots" -— were robbed of any chance of peace when the military hardware robots, now known as "Decepticons" and led by Megatronus, set their sights on conquering Cybertron for themselves. Two Autobotleaders fell during the war that ensued, and field commander Sentinel Major inherited the Matrix of Leadership and became Sentinel Prime, leader of the Autobots.

Under Sentinel Prime's leadership, the Autobots realized that they would never be able to defeat the Decepticons with firepower, and they turned instead to stealth, reconfiguring their bodies to be able to transform into other forms. With the power of his new ability, Sentinel Prime defeated the Decepticons' last early leader, and the Autobots won the war, ruling for many centuries. Peace was kept with the use of Guardian robots, sentinels that protected cities, quelled uprisings, and generally did the dirty work of war.

Megavorns later, the war began anew. New Decepticon leader Megatron led his army from victory to victory, targeting power centers to fuel his troops and build his forces. While the Guardian robots were powerful enough to strike fear in the Decepticons, even those giant robots were suffering at Megatron's hands. The safety of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership was in question, so A3, now known as Alpha Trion, kept it in hiding for many years.

A young, energetic worker at an energy-shipment facility, Orion Pax, was in awe of the Decepticons, but his feelings soon changed when Megatron attacked his workplace and gravely wounded him. Time-displaced Aerialbots took Orion to Alpha Trion, who was devising new ways to combat the Decepticons. Alpha Trion rebuilt Orion and gave him the Matrix, creating Optimus Prime, the first of a "new breed" capable of fighting Megatron.

Under the leadership of Optimus Prime the Autobots inflicted serious damage on the Decepticon forces, but Megatron was still powerful. War raged across Cybertron, with the balance of power shifting back and forth several times. During this time, the neutral parties in some of the other cities realised that the only way to survive might be to join one or another of the groups. Cities were destroyed because of the war as both parties grew into larger groups. Power centers Iacon and Polyhex stood as the capitals of the conflicting groups.

The continued conflict eventually drained Cybertron of its resources, and the war turned from one of conquest to one of survival. Optimus Prime led a team of Autobots on an interplanetary expedition in an attempt to find new resources for Cybertron. That expedition ended when Megatron attacked and boarded their ship. As the Autobots and Decepticons fought, the ship strayed too close to the nearby planet Earth, and it crashed. The Autobots left behind on Cybertron, including the Femmes under Elita One, and the Wreckers under Emirate Xaaron of Iacon, continued to fight the Decepticons of Tos and Varn, led by Shockwave.

For the next four million years, Shockwave commanded the Decepticons, who maintained the upper hand. Groups of Autobot resistance continued to fight, however, from secret bases across Cybertron.

The volcano that the Autobot ship crashed into, Mount St. Hilary, Oregon, erupted during the 1980s, giving off enough heat to power energy sinks onboard the ship, which in turn activated the ship's computer, Teletraan I. Teletraan I immediately sent out a low-altitude satellite to observe the planet the Transformers crashed upon. Teletraan I scanned several native transportation and military vehicles, and used its onboard repair units to reactivate the closest Transformer. This robot was a Decepticon, who managed to keep the repair bots focused on reviving the Decepticons and not the Autobots.

Megatron took his Decepticons and began building another starship. He learned of the people of the planet, but as they were organic life forms, they seemed to pose no threat. Meanwhile, the repair robots managed to eventually reach Optimus Prime and rebuild him, and then the other Autobots. Optimus went out to stop Megatron, and met the humans in the process, rescuing Spike and Sparkplug from an oil rig. These humans were instrumental in teaching the Autobots about Earth. Megatron's starship was shot down into the Pacific Ocean, where Megatron used it for a base for the next several years. He managed to use subspace radio to contact Shockwave on Cybertron, and the two compared technological advances made on Cybertron while the other Transformers were dormant on Earth.

MUX History

In 2004, the Decepticon army, including Trypticon, marched against the Autobots in Nevada. Metroplex returned fire, but was forced to retreat by the collective firepower of Trypticon and the Decepticon combined robot teams. Optimus Prime was beaten severely by Megatron and Starscream, and the Autobots fled the US.
Soon after the decisive defeat of the Autobots by the Decepticons, The President of the United States officially gave over control of the US to the Decepticons. Soon after, around the country the Decepticons began rounding up humans to serve as labor in their energon production facilities.

In March of 2005 the Decepticons were finally driven out of North America by a combined force of Autobots, Cobra, and G.I. Joe.

What If? Universes

At a pivotal point in Cybertron's history, the young Optimus Prime managed to defeat the Decepticon Leader Megatron in single combat. Without a strong leader to unify them, the remaining Decepticons quickly turned on each other, breaking into small warring bands. Now, only Polyhex remains as a bastion for the Decepticons. Cybertron is relatively peaceful, and due to Autobot explorations, the planet is once again rich with Energon. Guardians keep the peace, and from the outside, things look perfect - at least, in Iacon.

When Unicron attacked Cybertron in 2005, Optimus Prime was able to defeat the Chaos God using the Matrix, cementing the Autobots' feeling of invulnerability.
Without a leader, Cyclonus and the Sweeps settled on Chaar, where they eke out a meager existence while plotting their revenge on the Destroyer of Unicron.

However, without serious challenges, cultural stagnation has set in within the Autobots' ivory tower of Iacon. Prime is a distant, hands-off leader, leaving enforcement to his Guardians and lieutenants. The Autobots have grown lazy and weak, while envy grows within the Decepticons outside the walls, and the Quintessons gaze at the fractious world, seeing it ripe for the picking. The Bots have become soft without the constant threat of Decepticon attacks. They're complacent. Warrior-types get into trouble with nothing to do. Things seem calm and safe within the dome of Iacon, but should the Guardians be somehow compromised, the Autobots would likely be slaughtered.

Cobra World

In 1982, Dr. Mindbender discovered an alien craft buried in a dormant volcano in Oregon. Finding an amazing species of giant robot inside, Mindbender removed and repaired them, removing their cores for study and installing controls to pilot them directly or remotely as drones. With powerfulmecha at their disposal, Cobra's army seems unstoppable.

Joe World

After the conclusion of the Second World War, General Robert Savage speaks to the newly formed United Nations, and stresses the importance of not only a world diplomatic force, but a policing force. The General is placed in command of the UN's security forces, which are named G.I. Joes by the people. Joe takeover was gradual, with them slowly gathering up power. Temporary emergency powers somehow become permanent, and keep growing. Under the Joes, peace is maintained and strengthened, and even though there are still seeds of discontent, the Joes faithfully and honorably defend the principles of peace and justice. In 1982, Joe science teams uncovered the Ark and studied it without waking the Autobots and Decepticons inside, using the technology they found to give the United States a huge technological edge. They use this edge to enforce their will across the world.

Decepticon World

The Autobots' desperate attempt to launch the Ark ended in failure. The Ark went on a daring run, but Was ambushed and crashed violently. Prime quickly gathered Bumblebee and told him to take a certain remaining survivors and flee - while Prime and the rest of the able-bodied bots held the Decepticons off. The Decepticons made quick work of the remaining 'bots - and ended with Megs killing Prime and ripping the Matrix from his chest.

The majority of Iacon's inhabitants were permanently off-lined. Megatron reigned supreme over Cybertron, as well as many other worlds conquered by the Decepticons, now truly an Empire. The few survivors of the Ark Massacre lived beneath the surface of the planet, determined to survive no matter the cost.

When Unicron attacked Cybertron in 2005, Megatron forced Autobot prisoner Hot Rod, to open the Matrix that Megatron had ripped out of Optimus Prime's chest. Once Unicron was destroyed, Megatron killed this "Last Autobot," believing then that he had extinguished the final spark of the Autobots forever.

After the Decepticons overtook the Autobots' main base and the death of Ultra Magnus, Springer issued a direct challenge to Bumblebee's leadership, imploring the gathered Autobots vote "no confidence" in Bumblebee's leadership and install Springer as interim leader. He vowed to begin using Decepticon tactics and begin a campaign to instill terror in the Decepticons' psyche by conducting small, but deadly raids. While he had the support of the senior Autobot leader Hot Spot, Springer's initiative ultimately failed (263 voted "No Confidence", 327 voted against). Despite losing, Springer vowed to support Bumblebee and ordered all of his followers to follow his lead. In a gesture of solidarity, Bumblebee promoted Springer to City Commander, the position held by the deceased Ultra Magnus.

Sparkplug - patriarch and mechanic. Follows the Autobots on the news occasionally.

The Witwickys are your average family from Oregon. Patriarch William "Sparkplug" Witwicky and son Spike Witwicky witnessed world history when their oil rig was attacked by the Decepticons. Sparkplug briefly thought about volunteering to help the Autobots, but the fear of losing another family member a mere three years after losing his wife led him to let someone else handle the new alien visitors.

Because the Autobots didn't have the unexpected arrival of Spike and Sparkplug, Optimus Prime and other senior-level Autobots took a far more strategic approach in recruiting human allies. Instead of having a father and son team show the Autobots about humans, the Autobots had a plethora of humans clamoring to help assist them adapt to their new home. For years, the Autobots carefully selected military, science, cultural, and space experts from all over the world. A few lived in the Ark occasionally, but none resided there full-time. As a result, the Autobots saw humans as collaborators to their goal, but never developed a family-like bond to any of their collaborators. When met with a new human, Bumblebee routinely assessed how this person could or would bring value to the Autobot cause.

After crashlanding on Earth, the evil Autobots launched an invasion. Jetfire was captured by the Decepticons, so Emperor Prime named Jazz as his new XO.

Meanwhile back on Cybertron a struggle broke out over who will rule in Prime's absence. Most spectators placed their bets on Elita-One.

When Jetfire returned, he defeated Jazz and resumed his place at Prime's right hand. On Cybertron, the struggle for control became a struggle for survival as Ultra Magnus returned with an invasion force of mad, oil-thirsty Junkions.

On Cybertron, Elita-One has formed a truce with Cyclonus until the Junkions are driven from Cybertron. The Autobots of Earth have no knowledge of this ceasefire, or of the fact that Autobot traitor Alpha Trion is controlling both the Autobots and the Decepticons through Elita-One and Cyclonus.